Italy's Banco Popolare shareholders approve merger with BPM

BPM shareholders have the final say on the merger plan and will vote later today after their own meeting in Milan.

If approved, the tie-up will be the first prompted by reforms introduced by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi early last year to promote mergers and boost bank profitability.

(Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro; writing Francesca Landini; editing by Isla Binnie)